Exiled
by absentminded.philosopher
Summary: This is the story of how Zoe Nightshade was exiled from the Garden of the Hesperides. I used some parts from Percy's dream in TC, so I claim no credit for them! Rated T to be safe. Oneshot!


**Disclaimer: This story idea was not mine. It was Rick Riordan's. I just extended it. I claim no credit for the parts that Rick had written in the Titan's Curse, in Percy's dream.**

_My father had told me tales of this. But I scorned him. I never expected to fall prey to the sickness that has afflicted so many others, so many. The sickness of love. Almost everyone imaginable had fallen to it. I never expected to be overcome by it. Nor did my sisters. One day that changed…_

I was singing the song of the Hesperides, in unison with my sisters. We stopped abruptly. I felt a presence somewhere in the vicinity of the garden of twilight. "There is someone here," the oldest of my sisters said. "The apples must be protected."

Our duty was to protect the apples of immortality. Ladon, the dragon, did a very good job of that already, and there were none powerful enough to oppose him, except the gods. Zeus had passed us once, and snagged an apple for his sister-queen Hera. My father, Atlas, punished us for letting him pass.

"I will go," I said. I was the youngest, and I was yet to prove myself. I was anxious to show my sisters, to show them that I wasn't weak.

They nodded assent, and I materialized in the garden, and approached Ladon. I threw some lamb's meat in front of him, and all the heads simultaneously grabbed for it. Within seconds, it was gone. Ladon hissed contentedly. I shuddered. For one of the most powerful monsters in existence, he had terrible breath.

The golden apples gleamed as I left the centerpiece of the garden. Their deliciousness held no desire for me. I already had the power that the apples granted.

I walked briskly along the clearly marked path, staring dispassionately at the flowers. They were beautiful flowers, but the awakened nothing in me. My purpose was to protect the apples, and not to get sidetracked.

I kept my stride, but then saw something that made me stop cold. It was a man, tall and muscular. He had the pelt of the Nemean Lion over his back. I had heard whispers of this man. He was Hercules, the one who had slain Diomedes, the Hydra, the Nemean Lion, and done all sorts of things. I never expected him to be so…magnificent.

"Greetings," I said, struggling to keep my voice level. A sliver of passion escaped my scrutiny, however. Hopefully, Hercules wouldn't notice, since he wasn't exactly the brightest apple on the tree. "Why do you come to the garden of twilight?"

If I were any of my sisters, I would have immediately shown open hostility. But something held me back.

"Why else?" he said, laughing. It was a rough laugh, yet it softened my resolve. "I come for the apples. The golden apples of immortality."

Of course. How could I be so foolish as to overlook it? If he were any other man, I would have instantly driven him from the garden. But this wasn't any other man. It was Hercules.

"All right," I managed. "I would recommend that you get out of here, now."

"No." he said. "I have come for the apples, and nothing will stop me."

Why did he have to insist on doing this? He would die. I didn't want that to happen. So, I had no choice. I grabbed his hand and began to run back to the tree. "Come on!"

"I am not afraid," he said, almost as if he were ridiculing me.

"You should be!" I said warningly.

"I have bested a thousand monsters with my bare hands," he said confidently.

"Not this one. Ladon is too strong." I spoke the truth. Ladon was one of the most terrible monsters in existence.

"Then why don't you help me, pretty one?" his voice boomed.

I didn't want to admit to him how I felt. I did anyway. "I - I am afraid. Ladon will stop me. If my sisters found out, they would disown me."

"Then there's nothing for it," he said, clapping his hands together.

_Should I help him? Is it worth the risk?_

I guess it was. I took a pin out of my dark braided hair and breathed on it. It glowed dimly. "Take this," I said. "My mother, Pleione, was a daughter of the ocean. The power of the sea resides in it. _My _immortal power."

He laughed again. "A hairpin? How will this slay Ladon, pretty one?"

"It is all I have to offer," I said. His expression softened, and he took the pin. It expanded into a bronze sword.

"Well balanced," he commented. "What shall I name this blade?"

"_Anaklusmos,_" I said. "The tide that takes those by surprise. Before you know it, you will have been swept out to sea."

There was a collective hissing, and I knew we were too late. Ladon had found us. I tried to calm Ladon, but Hercules just drew the sword and attacked. He swirled the sword around like it was a toothpick, severing several heads, but Ladon was relentless. The hundreds of heads collectively snapped at him. I stood, stunned.

He cried out as one of the heads took off one of his fingers. The blood…I couldn't stand to look at it. "Run!" I cried to him. He fended off Ladon a few more seconds, and then fled toward the mountain where my father held up the sky.

I ran around the edge of the garden and hid behind a pillar, hoping my sisters wouldn't notice me. I don't think they did.

He approached my father and spoke to him. Atlas told to Hercules that if he could take the sky temporarily, while Atlas retrieved an apple. Hercules nodded eagerly. _No!_ I wanted to cry out. _Don't trust him!_

It was too late. Hercules took the burden, sweating already. Atlas slipped out from under it and a golden apple floated to his hand. He looked like he was about to get back out from under the burden, but thought better of it. "Sucker!" he cried gleefully. "Hold the sky forever!" Hercules had already begun to sweat. An amazing feat, for a mortal man. But he was more than a mortal man.

Hercules' expression grew angry as Atlas sat, stretching his arms. I reached toward his mind telepathically. _Tell him that you need a hot pad!_ I screamed in his mind. _Then get the heck out of there!_

He did as I told. He asked Atlas for a hot pad. Atlas conjured a pad out of the air and offered it to Hercules. "I need to get out," he said. "In order to apply it."

My father foolishly took the burden. Hercules fled, clutching the golden apple. My eldest sister materialized next to me, her expression full of fury. "You…" she said. "You helped him, against your oath."

"I-I" I stammered.

She cut me off. "You are exiled, and a Hesperid no longer. Go!"

There was so much anger in her countenance that I did not hesitate. After years of guarding the apples, I had failed. I fled from the garden of twilight, never to return.

I heard tales of Hercules, many months after I had been exiled. The bitterness against my sisters did not diminish. He had left me out of his story. He had claimed to do it all himself.

_That traitor!_

I sank to my knees, struggling to control my anger. A kind voice jolted me out of the reverie. "You know now, how evil men can be."

I looked up. It was Artemis, the huntress. She was right. Men were fools. Hercules had betrayed me. I had no doubts.

"C-can I join your Hunt?"

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